Report published in The Cross and The Press June 18, 2010
Osh, Kyrgyzstan - ethnic fighting has ceased in southern Kyrgyzstan. But the Uzbek minority in Osh always afraid to leave their devastated neighborhoods. And even to let in aid humanitarian. Because they are more likely to believe that the violence of last week were held directly by local authorities, dominated by the majority of Kyrgyzstan, told our contributor.
"Who will answer for our houses burned, murder, rape?" On a soapbox, surrounded by men in the neighborhood of Uzbek-Shahid Teba, Murat Isakov launches into an impassioned speech. The retired general to whom he made the corporation, Kirghiz, head down. He had come to negotiate the removal of barricades in order to move 20 tonnes of essential commodities.
"We do not want your help humanitarian!" shouted the crowd. Murad, a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, quiet fellow and continued his diatribe against the general quiet, despite representing him Kirgiz.
"If you want to show the Uzbeks that we are brother peoples, the ball is in your court. Here, everything is calm. We have only to defend ourselves." At
Shahid-Teba, dozens of homes were torched during the violence that began on the night of June 10 to 11 and killed at least 191 deaths, according to official figures grossly underestimated. Nothing in this neighborhood, residents have buried 18 of them in a common grave.
At the checkpoint between Shahid-Teba a mixed neighborhood, soldiers, all Kyrgyz, search cars. Informal leader of the crowd, great orator, said to General Murat Moldochev that the Uzbeks are still afraid of the military, although the shooting stopped.
According to La Presse observed, Osh Uzbek sectors were clearly more affected than areas of Kyrgyzstan, the arsonists left virtually intact.
Struggles mafia
In an interview, the mayor of the city, Melisbek Myrzakmatov, denies that ethnic divisions may have caused violence and the Uzbeks have been targeted more than the Kyrgyz. "The common people had nothing to do. Our two peoples have lived together for centuries and now outside forces want to go against each other," he says.
He said the Islamist forces could be linked to "international terrorist groups." There is indeed such movements in the Ferghana Valley, where Osh, but they have never been behind attacks of this magnitude in Kyrgyzstan. In the streets of Osh, the hypothesis of the involvement of foreign forces or Islamist is much less People in the corridors of City Hall. For Kirghiz like Uzbeks, ethnic clashes have rather to source the mafia and political struggles that led to two coups in five years, most recently in April.
But the mayor insists that several people were arrested during the week and "they are not citizens of Kyrgyzstan."
But La Presse had access yesterday to a prison in State Service of national security, where a dozen men, all Uzbeks, were presented as participants in the violence. It would be the only prisoners arrested in connection with the events occurred in Osh. Some members of security forces did not hide their belief that the Uzbek minority was responsible for the rampage.
Psychiatric Hospital
Meanwhile, the Uzbek community, which accounts for about 40% of the population of Osh, accused the authorities of regional discrimination. Few of its members in fact working in the administration and security forces.
Myrzakmatov Mayor denies. "That's because no Uzbek does work in the state apparatus to $ 100 a month," he replied, annoyed. "Who among them enlisted to protect our borders? No other ethnic group Apart from the Kirghiz does serve in our military and defend our borders. "
In the district of Shahid-Teba, Danil Olmata, twenties, sees things differently:" When you send a request to become an employee of the State and they see that you are Uzbek, you're dismissed. I have a law degree, but I'm unemployed. "
For the Uzbeks, the mayor has now become suspect in the outbreak of violence. In an interview this week at the news website Ferghana.ru, vice- Mayor Kamtchibekov Timur, accused her supervisor to have a "direct connection with the events.
Tuesday Kamtchibekov, would have been a champion of the Uzbeks during the violence, was relieved of his duties. Melisbek Myrzakmatov not deny the dismissal of his deputy. But to explain it, he waved to reporters photocopies of a diagnosis of mental illness established by a psychiatric hospital.
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